metro
Dariye may recover N500m mansion from EFCC after pardon
A former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, may recover his N500m mansion in Asokoro, Federal Capital Territory, from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following his pardon by the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), Sunday PUNCH has learnt.
Dariye, who was convicted for stealing N1.16bn while he was governor between 1999 and 2007, was pardoned by Buhari on April 14, 2022 following the recommendation of the National Council of State.
The former governor’s conviction by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in 2018 was affirmed by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
On the strength of the affirmation of the conviction by the Supreme Court, the EFCC, through its lawyer, Mr Oluwaleke Atolagbe, approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the final forfeiture of the property based on the argument that it was purchased with proceeds of crime.
The property, located at 19 Frederick Chiluba Close, sits on over 2,000 square metres in upscale Asokoro and in the middle of several governors’ lodges.
A top source at the EFCC told Sunday PUNCH that the property could not be worth less than N500m.
An EFCC official, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “That property cannot be worth less than N500m. The truth is that now that Dariye has been pardoned, it means the crime never occurred in the eyes of the law. That means the property may not be recovered from him. At this point, we don’t even know what will happen to the forfeiture case.
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“It will now depend on the Attorney-General of the Federation to determine how to enforce the pardon along with the instruments of the pardon.”
The EFCC had told Justice Inyang Ekwo in February that since the trial had been concluded and Dariye had been jailed for criminal breach of trust and dishonest conversion of over N1bn belonging to Plateau State, it was proper that the court order the final forfeiture of the convict’s known assets.
The application read in part, “The applicant (the EFCC) sought and obtained an interim forfeiture order of the respondent’s (Dariye’s) assets and properties, inclusive of the property at P No 1802 AO4, No. 19, Fredrick Chiluba Close, Asokoro, pending the determination of the charge against the respondent.
“The charge against the respondent (now convicted): FCT/CR/81/2007 between Federal Republic of Nigeria vs. Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye, was determined resulting in the respondent’s conviction.
“Both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the respondent. The apex court affirmed the conviction of the respondent on the charge of criminal breach of trust punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code and also that the N1,161,162,300.00 belonging to the Plateau State Government had clearly been dishonestly converted by the respondent to his own use by the intricate dishonest contrivance.”
The commission noted that with the decision of the Supreme Court in Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye vs. FRN, appeal No: SC/1206C/2018, it was affirmed that Ebenezer Retnan Ventures, an unregistered company, was involved and used to commit the crime for which Dariye was convicted.
It said by the decision of the Supreme Court, it was affirmed that there was credible evidence that Dariye was masquerading in the name of Ebenezer Retnan Ventures, an unregistered company, to cause wrongful gain to himself.
PUNCH
metro
Two men land in Ibadan court for allegedly stealing two loaves of bread
Two men land in Ibadan court for allegedly stealing two loaves of bread
Two men, Ebenezer Olusesi, 31, and Ibrahim Adeniyi, 41 were on Monday arraigned before an Ibadan Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing two loaves of bread worth N2,600.
The two men, employees of a popular supermarket in Ibadan, reportedly stole the bread from their employer.
Olusesi, a baker and Adeniyi, a security guard, pleaded not guilty to theft.
The prosecution counsel, David Adepoju, told the court that the defendants conspired to commit the offence.
Adepoju said the defendants on April 28 stole two loaves of bread, property of FoodCo Company, Ring Road, Ibadan, represented by Friday Achibong.
He said the offence contravened section 390 (a) and 516 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State 2000.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Olabisi Ogunkanmi, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N50,000 each with two sureties each in like .
Ogunkanmi said one of the sureties must be a relation while the second sureties must present tax evidence for two year.
She adjourned the case until August 15 for hearing.
metro
Missing Delta varsity female student found dead, two suspects arrested
Missing Delta varsity female student found dead, two suspects arrested
Two suspects are in the custody of the Edo State Police Command in connection with the disappearance and death of a 200-level undergraduate of Delta State University of Science and Technology, Agbor, Miss Faith Omodon.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the inhabitants of Iru Egbede community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State had, on March 30, reported the sudden disappearance of their daughter who was studying Business Administration at DELSU.
The father of the missing girl, Edward Omodon, had told our correspondent that his daughter was last seen on March 30, after she left home for the farm on a motorcycle. He said the incident occurred when the community was holding their national conference.
“We usually have the Iru National Conference at this time of the year. We were seated inside the community hall when we heard loud wailing outside that my daughter was missing. She had left for the farm earlier that morning with a motorcycle, taking her breakfast in a flask with her,” he said.
However, our correspondent gathered on Sunday that the community’s vigilante group arrested and handed over two suspects in connection with the disappearance.
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Speaking with PUNCH Metro on the incident, on Sunday, the National Youth Chairman of Iru- Egbede, Donald Isioma, disclosed that the suspects were arrested on Saturday afternoon.
He said the two were arrested when the phone of the deceased was tracked and traced to the suspects.
Isioma added, “The police have recovered the phone from the suspects and the motorbike Omodon rode to the farm on the day she went missing.
“One of the suspects who is a member of the community has confessed that they had killed the girl while being interrogated at the Okpaihe Police Station before the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Benin.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said information concerning the arrest had yet to reach him but promised to get back as soon as he contacted men of the SCID. He had yet to do that as of the time of filing this report on Sunday evening.
Missing Delta varsity female student found dead, two suspects arrested
metro
NAF airstrikes kill scores of terrorists in Borno, Niger enclaves
NAF airstrikes kill scores of terrorists in Borno, Niger enclaves
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Sunday said the air components of Operations Hadin Kai and Whirl Punch in the North East and North Central killed many terrorists in airstrikes in Borno and Niger.
The Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, AVM Edward Gabkwet, disclosed this in a statement.
Gabkwet said the air components had continued to obliterate terrorists and destroy their structures, equipment and mobility, thereby limiting their ability to attack ground troops and innocent Nigerians at will.
He said that in the North East, the air interdiction was on May 3 authorized and conducted over Chinene, a location tucked inside the Mandara Mountain.
He said terrorists had been observed to be emanating from various locations and assembling ostensibly for a meeting.
According to him, seven gun trucks were also observed parked under trees within the same location.
Gabkwet said the aircraft bombarded the assembly area and tree coverings and destroyed their weapons and mobility.
He said that the Battle Damage Assessment revealed that the strikes were successful as several terrorists were neutralised and logistics destroyed.
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He said similar airstrikes were conducted same day by the air component of Operation Whirl Punch in a pre-emptive air strikes over terrorists hibernating at Allawa village, near Shiroro town in Niger.
The NAF spokesman said the mission was conducted following credible intelligence which revealed the migration of terrorists into the village after the mass exit of locals for fear of their safety.
He said the terrorists had, on May 1, stormed the deserted Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area and torched the Central Primary School.
“In the evening of the same day, another group of terrorists also arrived at the location, wielding AK-47/49 rifles after invading Galapai village in Galadima Kogo District of Shiroro.
“Accordingly, to prevent further occupation as well as pursue the terrorists from the location, the air component scrambled a formation of its platforms to attack the location.
“On arrival at the location, several terrorists were sighted and engaged effectively.
“Furthermore, following credible intelligence as well as detailed aerial observation, which confirmed the presence of their cache of arms hidden inside Allawa Forest, the air component further carried out air strikes at the location,” he said.
Gabkwet also said that the NAF carried out air strikes North of Arugbana and Temakiri in the Niger Delta, where illegal refining sites were observed and destroyed.
He said through this action, the capabilities of oil thieves to continually sabotage and destroy oil pipelines were minimised.
NAF airstrikes kill scores of terrorists in Borno, Niger enclaves
(NAN)
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